


A Wolf in Sheeps Skin

by Kialish



Series: Paying The Price [2]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Demonic activities, M/M, No sugar coating it really is tbh, Past Abuse, Stockholm Syndrome, will add tags later
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-12
Updated: 2017-04-03
Packaged: 2018-08-08 05:59:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,239
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7745890
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kialish/pseuds/Kialish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bill Cipher is stuck as a human after his botched attempt at the apocalypse. Despite the protests of Ford, Dipper insists on keeping him alive and living with them to keep an eye on him, just in case the ex-demon has any tricks up his sleeve. Little does he know, Bill's playing him for a fool and the tricks he's planning are nothing to laugh at.</p><p>Note: I started writing this shortly after writing the prequel, When Dealing With Demons, but got stuck after so many chapters. I'm hoping that by posting what I have a little at a time, I will get the push to keep writing and finish my story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Things had gone almost back to normal in Gravity Falls. Almost. Besides the fact that normal was subjective, everything had been thrown for a loop when one Bill Cipher had started the apocalypse. Destroying the portal almost the entire third floor of the basement had caused a reversion that caused everything to be sucked back into the Nightmare Realm where it belonged, but people had died and for 12 hours, monsters that only existed in nightmares walked around Gravity Falls wreaking all kinds of havoc. Luckily for them, it had only taken a week’s worth of memory wiping and lying to settle most of the town down.

And that left Bill. Human, trapped without his demon powers, and essentially a huge pain in the ass. Dipper, despite both Stan’s heavy frowning and disapproving, had spared his life and insisted on keeping him around to keep an eye on him. Even human, there was a chance he could get into trouble…

But even his insistence hadn’t been enough to sway Ford. After getting out of the portal and then destroying it, Ford had taken up the task of fixing the memories of the Gravity Falls citizens himself, shrugging off the family and obviously distraught. He blamed himself for most of this, but the fact that Bill was around and living didn’t help him either. Although he hadn’t told anyone just what their relationship had been, Dipper knew him and Bill had history. He had tried to talk Dipper out of keeping him alive multiple times when he could get Dipper alone, but the boy was insistent. Even though he used to be a demon, he was a human now. And Dipper didn’t know if he could put him down…

Somedays, he wished he could.

“Oh my god, why does this keep happening?!” Bill whined one morning, curling up on the floor by the chair in the living room, in an illuminati themed set of night clothes. He wouldn’t shut up at Walmart until they bought it for him. Dipper walked out of the kitchen with a bowl of cereal in his hand, looking down at the writhing ex-demon.

“Stop complaining, and just go use the bathroom,” He said, mouth half full. Bill made a high pitched noise and rolled over again, ignoring him. “God, I think I’m starting to miss when you were a mind leech…”

“Being a human is so gross. You should have just killed me,” Bill said dramatically.

“That can be arranged,” Came a gruff voice. Stanford Pines came from the Mystery Shack, having taken up residency in the basement, wearing a red sweater and adjusting his still cracked glasses. Bill looked up at him before finally relenting and pulling himself up.

“Pine Tree likes having me around. Probably thinks of me as kind of a friend,” Bill jabbed, lips pulling into a half smile at the paling of Ford’s face. “Wouldn’t want to kill his friend now would’ja, Sixxer?”

Ford’s lips pursed and brows knit together, reaching into his pocket for something before Dipper stumbled over to him and shoved Bill towards the bathroom.

“Grunkle Ford! Uhm, good morning!” Dipper said, pulling his attention away from Bill. Ford looked over to Dipper, expression softening ever so slightly. “How goes the, uh, fixing of people’s memories?” He tried. As badly as he wanted to drill the older man on the Journals and all the secrets of Gravity Falls, it was turning out to be a mostly fruitless effort. Ford wasn’t relenting one bit, although when he wasn’t out trying to fix people’s memory, he constantly disappeared beneath the Shack and stayed in the basement.

“Hmm? Oh, I finished up yesterday,” Ford replied, putting whatever he was about to pull out back into his pocket. He went into the kitchen, Dipper following him eagerly. “There might be a few loose ends to tie up, but most people will either think it was a bad dream, or whoever’s spouting nonsense about it is the new town fool…”

His voice trailed off for a moment, then opened up one of the cabinets.

“That’s… good.” Dipper said. Ford riffled through the foods in the cabinet, Dipper watching as he polished off his cereal. Upstairs, he heard the floorboards creak, wondering if Mabel had finally pulled herself out of bed.

“Listen, kid,” Ford started, sighing at the unfamiliar food items and deciding on good old peanut butter and jelly. Dipper tensed and withheld a sigh. Here we go again… “I don’t know why you’re insisting on keeping him around. He’s dangerous, always has been, and always will be.” This was far from the first time Ford tried to drill him on the dangers of the demon, and each conversation ended with him seeming to understand only to come back again the next day and try again.

“We’ve gone over this at least half a dozen times,” Dipper said with a sigh, rubbing his face and dumping the remainder of his milk into the sink.

“And I still don’t like a demon being in my house!”

“Ex-demon.” Dipper said. “He’s entirely human. If his whining hasn’t gotten into your head yet.”

“Kid, a being doesn’t exist as long as Bill Cipher, as smart as Bill Cipher, without making connections.” Ford growled lowly, slathering peanut butter on a slice of bread. “He’s not to be taken lightly.”

“Which is why he’s staying in my room, with me and Mabel, and why I’m keeping an eye on him!” Dipper said, leaning against the counter. Ford sighed and shook his head.

“Look, I don’t even know if I can trust you watching him” Ford admitted, Dipper’s face shifting to hurt and anger. “Everyone makes mistakes. But to make a deal with Bill twice? And he’s probably pulled you in way over your head. He shouldn’t be allowed to live.”

“I only made the second deal to save my sister!” Dipper spat, feeling himself shaking as his voice raised. “Don’t act like I’m an idiot who kept doing this because I didn’t have the consequences drilled into me. I went to the hospital a lot because of him. I still have nightmares about what he did to me in the Mindscape, about when he possessed me! Back off!”

Dipper didn’t realize he was shouting until he stopped, shoulders tensed and face red. Mabel was standing in the doorway to the kitchen, wearing a long purple nightgown and pursing her lips.

“Uhm, if I’m interrupting anything… I’ll just-”

“No,” Both men said simultaneously. They glanced at each other.

“It’s fine,” Dipper muttered, pushing himself away from the counter and brushing past his sister. She grabbed his hand briefly, giving a gentle squeeze before he shrugged her off and kept walking. He could feel her disappointment stab him in his back.

“I hate this so much,” Bill whined, flicking water off his hands as he wandered back into the living room. “But hey, that was real sweet of you to stick up for my life, Pine Tree.”

“Shut up, Bill,” Dipper sighed, throwing himself on Grunkle stan’s chair. Bill looked down at him, then threw himself across Dipper’s lap, wrapping his arms around the other’s neck as he beamed. “Really? Get off, there’s a couch right over there.”

“Awe, but you’re comfy, and the TV is right here,” He whined, sticking out his lower lip. Dipper rolled his eye and popped up the footrest and turning on the TV. Bill shifted so he could watch the news on the television, Dipper resting his head in his hand.

It didn’t take long after the portals destruction for Bill to stick to Dipper like a clingy human octopus. Over the past week Dipper and Mabel had attempted to teach Bill how to be a human, but he wasn’t taking to it very well. Which, was to be expected, since he was ancient. Just a few days ago Dipper had tried to ask Bill how old he was.

“Imagine an entire mountain made out of individual Stanleys and Stanfords. Add up their ages, and that’s how old I am.”

As vague as the answer was, it was enough to give an idea.

But even as a human, Bill had no idea how to do personal space. Dipper had long since given up trying to get Bill off of him when he sat on the chair, or to let go of him when the pair slept. The bed they had bought the day of the incident was theirs to share, having squeezed it into the attic the day after the portal had been destroyed. It didn’t leave too much room for Mabel, who was still sharing the room, but she didn’t seem to mind. Although she did very much enjoy teasing Dipper about Bill’s clingy sleep habits.

He would have made her take the room downstairs, but with Ford back, that room was kept for him to sleep in. When he wasn’t locked away in the basement doing god knows what. The older twins still had a great deal of animosity between them, although it seemed like they were trying to put it behind them. Sort of. Most days. But they refused to share a room. Hell, the way they yelled sometimes, Dipper was surprised they managed to stay in the same house.

It was December now, the chill in Gravity Falls spreading fast. Which meant the Fall semester at Gravity Falls Community College was ending, and in January the Spring semester would start.

“So, hey, what are you gonna do when you go off to your stupid human school all day?” Bill asked nonchalantly. Dipper furrowed his brow and looked at the man resting on his lap. He knew Bill couldn’t read his mind anymore, but it didn’t stop the blond from saying things that were on Dipper’s mind with alarming frequency.

“Uh, go to school.” Dipper replied. Bill rolled his eye.

“I meant with me,” He explained. Stretching out, he let his head hang upside down and stretched, hair flopping around messily. “You can’t leave me here alone with grumpy 1 and grumpy 2.”

Dipper snorted, jabbing at Bill’s slightly exposed stomach. The blond yelped and sprang up, glaring daggers. It turned out that human Bill was ticklish. And he hated it very much.

“Why? Are you scared of them?” Dipper teased. Bill rolled his eye.

“In case you haven’t noticed, this form? Isn’t as durable as I would normally be.” He explained. “Sixxer definitely has it out for me. Shrine Hat’s not too keen on me either.”

Dipper watched the news quietly, shifting under Bill’s weight.

“What’s up with you and Grunkle Ford anyway?” Dipper asked, glancing at the kitchen in case the man came out. From what he could hear, Mabel had him at her attention about something or other. Bill stretched and got off of Dipper, heading towards the stairs.

“Bill? Just not going to answer?” Dipper asked.

“It’s not important,” Bill replied. He called over his shoulder, “I’m going to get dressed.”

“I finished your sweater! It’s on the bed.” She called after Bill, poking her head out of the kitchen. She looked at Dipper. He raised a brow at her and she shrugged unapologetically. “He said he wouldn’t give back my Saint Patrick's Day sweater if I didn’t make him one! That’s one of my favorites!”

“They’re all your favorites, Mabes,” Dipper chuckled.

“Besides the point!” She said, looking over her shoulder before walking into the living room and sitting by the dinosaur skull that acted as a side table. “Besides, I made you one too. It’s getting chilly out there.”

“I swear to god, if you knit me another kitten sweater--”

“It’s not a kitten sweater! Promise.” Mabel said, beaming. Dipper smiled, sighing and staring blankly at the infomercial that was playing on the TV screen.

\--

 

Upstairs, Bill skipped into the room and looked at the sweaters that were laid out on the bed. There were two, one golden yellow with a single eye in the center of the chest, framed with 8 black lashes. The other was white with blue sleeves and a blue pine tree knit in the center. Smirking, Bill took the one that was obviously meant for Pine Tree, disrobing from his sleep clothes.

It was weird, being human. Having to change clothes, sweating, peeing and -- ugh -- pooping. Needing to eat all the time, and drink all the time. Having to walk everywhere, not having any magic. It was slowly driving him insane, truth be told. But he did enjoy getting to stick around Pine Tree more… It seemed that Pine Tree felt responsible for him. It made him tickled pink!

Sliding the sweater over his head and putting on a pair of the slimming grey jeans they had bought for him, a sound caught his attention. Bill froze, then spun around to see the world in flat monochrome. 

“Bill! Getting used to a permanent vessel, huh?” Came a teasing and eerily calm voice. A purple square floated forward, his round eye featuring a sideways, rectangular pupil, a small bowler hat atop his head.

“Tad! Please tell me you have good news,” Bill groaned, sticking out his lower lip.

“Well, good news and bad news!” said Tad Strange, floating around Bill’s head. “Good news is, there is a way to get your powers back. Bad news is, it’s gonna take a long time. Other bad news is we never really discussed payment…”

He looked over at Bill, leaning on his shoulder. Bill narrowed his brows.

“Okay, okay, what do you want, Tad?” He muttered.

“It’s simple, I promise! Just a bit more control in the Nightmare Realm, that’s it!” Tad replied jovially. Bill’s eyes narrowed and he leered at the purple demon on his shoulder.

“You say it like it’s not a big deal,” He growled defensively. The Nightmare Realm was his. Sure, other demons could utilize it, but it was his domain. Tad may as well have been asking to crash at his place permanently without paying rent.

“Aah, not technically without paying rent,” Tad said, reading Bill’s mind. Bill fumed, despising being human right now. “My payment is getting you out of this chunk of meat! Surely, you can give me that little bit of control in return for, oh, I don’t know, giving you everything you had back?”

Bill grit his teeth together and his nostrils flared. Tad knew he was desperate, and he was playing him for it. Bill couldn’t really blame him; he would be taking as much advantage of the situation as he could if it was reversed… He looked down at Tad, seeing the smile in his eye. Bill rolled his eye and brushed Tad off.

“Fine, fine, I … I agree,” Bill sighed. Tad held out his hand, green flames licking up his palm. Bill shook his hand, then woke up, standing in the room as if nothing had happened. 

Everything was just about back to normal.


	2. Chapter 2

As Bill came back down the stairs, Dipper was talking to Grunkle Stan, who had left his office finally bearing an empty coffee cup and the normal underclothes he sported when not working. Dipper was leaning against the wall, Grunkle in front of him and Ford next to them. Since the surgery, Stan was still using a walker to get around, constantly grumbling about being old. He blamed Bill more than anyone else, but was in the similar case of Ford where they both were begrudgingly allowing him a home at Dippers request.

“So, could you?” Dipper asked. Mabel had taken residency over the chair, watching the men speak, before looking over to Bill and snorting. Bill beamed towards her, puffing his chest so that the blue pine tree on the sweater stood out more. Grunkle Stan rubbed his chin.

“Well, yeah, most likely. But why would you want him with you at school?” Stan asked with a bewildered expression. “Isn’t he enough trouble here?”

“He is, but I figure you two don’t want him in your hair while me and Mabel are gone to class, and this way I can still keep an eye on him.” Dipper explained. Ford grunted, eyes flickering over to the quiet blond as he stood, waiting for Dipper to notice him. It was obvious he was hoping that Bill would be left behind. Dipper hadn’t turned around, but both old men glanced over at him before pursing their lips.

“Good point,” Stan relented. “With my hip, I won’t be able to do as much as I could before… And chasing after a pain in the ass ex demon is one of those things I don’t think I could manage.”

“I could,” Ford muttered, eyes darkening and piercing through Bill. His smirk didn’t falter, but a shiver went down his spine involuntarily.

“Look, he’s stuck like this, he might as well learn to become a functioning member of society,” Dipper added, throwing up his hands.

“Hey, I can function just fine without some meager college education,” Bill contested, skipping forward and putting an arm around Dipper. “But any time with you - and away from him-” Bill looked pointedly at Ford. “I look forward to.” He added, pinching Dipper’s cheek. Dipper swatted him away and crossed his arms.

“Even if I do make him a fake identity and forge all these records and documents, how is he going to pay to get in?” Stan asked. “College isn’t cheap and I sure as hell ain’t paying for him to go!”

“Oh, money isn’t an object!” Bill chirped, jumping back. “I have stashes of gold buried all over Gravity Falls and the woods! Close to, I’d say, hmmm, 100 million dollars worth.” He estimated, tapping a finger against his chin. Dipper looked at him, mouth open slightly, and Stan seem to be lost in another zone. 

“Why didn’t you tell us sooner?!” Dipper demanded, turning from the Grunkles to Bill. He looked Bill up and down, realizing for the first time what he was wearing. “Hey, that’s my sweater! Go get yours on!”

“So demanding, sheesh,” Bill quipped, waving a hand around. “It never came up till now! Also, no, this is mine now, you get the other one.” He said, beaming. Dipper glared at him, then looked to Mabel for helped. The girl twin shrugged and smiled meekly.

“I can knit you another, bro-bro,” She offered.

“No, don’t bother,” Dipper sighed, turning back to the Stans. “I’ll go help Bill dig up some gold. Since he has so much, he can take care of Stan’s medical bills. And mine and Mabel’s medical bills. And the cost of the damage to the shack.”

Bill pouted.

“Fine, but you have to wear the sweater upstairs for the rest of the day,” He said, thrusting out his hand. Dipper rolled his eyes and humored him, macking away his hand before pulling away towards the stairs. 

“Guess I’ll head back to my office then,” Stan grunted.

“I’m coming with you, Lee. We need to talk,” Stanford added, following after Stanley.

“Okay! I’m gonna go let Waddles in, just call for me if you need me…” Mabel said meekly. Dipper stopped on his way up and trotted a few steps down.

“Do you wanna come with me and Bill?” He asked, throwing her a smile. She jumped up.

“Of course I do!”

“Well, come on, get dressed,” He said, taking the stairs two at a time.

\--

Dipper was still mad that Bill wouldn’t give up his sweater. The one obviously made for him. But he threw on the golden knit sweater that was intended for Bill anyway. It was getting really cold in Oregon, and there were whispers of snowfall in the not too distant future. Once dressed, the trio left with Bill leading them.

Both twins had a shovel over their shoulder, Mabel tugging along Waddles with a rope and harness as they went. Bill was humming as he went, single eye darting back and forth as they made their way through the woods.

“So, why do you even have a hundred million dollars worth of gold buried here any way?” Dipper asked, one hand shoved in his pocket, the other growing numb against the cold wooden handle of the shovel.

“You never know when you might need it, kid,” Bill replied with a shrug. He stopped, looking at the trees before pivoting on a heel and taking a 90 degree turn. “Although walking to where I buried the piles is getting lame.”

“You say that when you have to walk anywhere.” Dipper pointed out.

“Well, it is! It’s so much easier to just teleport. Or fly.” Bill said, kicking a pile of leaves. Dipper rolled his eyes. Bill stopped, slamming the heel of his booted foot on the ground. “Ah, here! Get digging!”

He stepped back, Dipper and Mabel stepping forward and digging the spaded heads into the dirt. The ground was hard and cold as they heaved dirt off to the side. Bill was leaning against a tree as they worked, arms crossed.

“Y’know, you could help!” Dipper said, throwing a pile of dirt in Bill’s direction. The dark skinned blond stepped aside, the pile missing him.

“Nah, you guys can handle it,” He replied with a wave of his hand.

“You’re lucky you’re rich,” Mabel shot. Bill laughed.

“You were keeping me around and listening to me long before you knew I had all this gold,” Bill chirped. Dipper snorted and threw another pile of dirt at the other. “Cut that out! Or I won’t give you any.”

“Hey, you already brought us to this pile, don’t have much of a say in it now,” Dipper said.

“Just because I’m human doesn’t mean I can’t still kick both your asses,” Bill growled. The twins weren’t watching, but the bitterness in his voice gave away his anger.

“If you say so.” Mabel said with a careless shrug and smirk only Dipper could see. Dipper smiled at his sister. He knew she wasn’t… keen on the situation with Bill herself. He could see it in her eyes when she looked at the man, the flash of fear, remembering what he had done not a month ago. But she was trying for Dipper, just like everyone else was. A small pang of guilt shot through his stomach...

Bill stepped forward when the shovels hit something hard in the ground, the sound resounding in the chilled forest. 

“There we go!” He knelt down, waving for Mabel and Dipper to join him, before reaching in and grabbing at one of the handles. They pulled up the chest with lots of grunting, sliding it onto the ground. Bill pointed a finger at the lock. Looking irritated, he did it again. 

“Oh. Right…” He sighed. Dipper snickered, wiping his hands on his jeans and earning a cold glare from Bill. “We’ll just have to pull it back to the Shack. And hope that one of the old men either have a lock picking kit, or a hammer I can use to snap this thing off…”

Mabel tied Waddles’ rope to the chest, and together the pig and girl started to pull, the chest sliding against the forest floor with relative ease. Dipper grabbed the rope to help too; Bill, unsurprisingly, didn’t bother helping.

“How much is in one of these chests?” Dipper asked as they started back the way they came. Bill hummed and looked up in thought.

“It varies, but usually a million or so worth,” He replied, waving a hand in a more or less gesture.

“So you have a hundred of these buried out here?” Dipper questioned.

“More or less!”

“And no one has found them?”

“Well, not since Sixxer blew the portal. Up until then, I could see every box, and not one was touched,” Bill said. “So unless someone got really lucky in the past week, no, no one has found them.”

Dipper watched him out of the corner of his eye, a dark shadow crossing Bills face. It wasn’t like he expected the ex demon to come to terms with his loss in a week, but he could tell he was trying to brush it off like it didn’t bother him. Well, sometimes. Bill hated most bodily processes and was keen on whining about them.

The trek back to the shack was silent after that, aside from Waddles’ grunts and a stray bird here and there. The trees were bare and the greenery was now brown and rotted away. It was surprising it hadn’t actually snowed yet, but the chill in the air brought threat of a storm. That, and the news had announced one headed this way from the North.

Back at the shack, Dipper took a crowbar to the chest and tore the rusted lock right off. Bill leaned down and popped it open, rubbing his hands together gleefully at the shining bricks. Dipper whistled lowly, grabbing one and looking it over.

“Jesus, Cipher,” Came Grunkle Stan, shuffling out to the porch where they were crouched around the chest. Bill rolled his eye. “It’s all real?”

“No, Shrine Hat, I’m doing this just to pull your leg. Of course it’s real,” He growled, lifting a brick and tossing it at Stan. The old man caught it, letting go of his walker and nearly falling over to do so. He scowled at the blond who had turned his attention back to the gold, before scratching it and looking at the numbers.

“How exactly are we supposed to turn these into cash…” Dipper asked as Bill counted them.

“23… 24… 25… 26! All here.” Bill said with a grin. 

“Hmm, well, there’s a place in town…” Stan muttered, rubbing his 5-o’clock shadow. “But if we bring 26 bars over, it’d look a little suspicious. Gotta do a bit at a time.”

“Or come up with a convincing lie,” Mabel said, as if it was the most obvious and first choice. Grunkle Stan laughed, tossing the brick back to Bill who caught it without looking. 

“I raised you right, Mabel. I raised you right.”

\--

Later that evening, Stan had drawn up papers and forged records, piling them on the table for the trio of young adults -- and ex demon -- to evaluate. The three had left after digging up the gold, taking a few bars into town and converting it to cash. Dippers bank account looked pretty damn good. Now, everyone aside from Ford sat around the kitchen table, two open pizza boxes on the counter from their dinner.

“Oh man, I didn’t think you had a sense of humor at all, old man!” Bill crowed, waving his birth certificate around. Dipper saw Stans face twisted into a reluctant half smile, before grabbing the paper.

“ ‘William Lou Cipher’. Oh my god, Grunkle Stan!” Dipper said, smiling widely. Mabel cracked a laugh and grabbed it next.

“ ‘born to Lou Cipher senior and Isabelle Zebub Cipher’. You literally named him after the devil!” She said. Bill smirked and looked over the Oregon driver’s license. “You don’t think anyone’s gonna ask about that?”

“Hey, hey, I spent an entire decade forging identities and no one was the wiser,” Stan insisted, turning to grab another piece of pizza. He yelped, having pulled himself in a way that tugged at his injury. Dipper stood to grab him another slice, taking another for himself.

“Okay, so next we’ll have to get him enrolled at Gravity Falls Community College… Did you forge school records too?” Dipper asked, looking over his grunkles shoulder.

“Kid, I went all out. I don’t half ass this kinda thing.” He scoffed, almost offended.

“I do appreciate the effort, Shrine Hat.” Bill said.

“I’m only doing it to get you out of my and Ford’s hair!” Stan growled.

“Oh please, you know i’m totally harmless like this,” Bill sighed.

“Hardly…”

“Okay!” Dipper cut in. “Tomorrow we’ll head to the college and work on getting you enrolled, alright?”

“Eh, not like I have any other plans..” Bill sighed, tilting his chair back and putting his feet on the table. Dipper shoved his feet down, watching with amusement as Bill flailed and flung himself forward to avoid falling backwards.


	3. Chapter 3

Sleeping was always an interesting thing lately. It wasn’t like before he was human Bill didn’t sleep with him. But it was a couple hundred times more awkward now. Bill didn’t have ultimate control over his body like he did when he was a demon. And that meant no reason boners, especially when he was asleep. Cuddled right up against Dipper.

The brunet often just pulled himself as far away as he could, ignoring the heat that would rise to his cheeks and thoughts that ran around his mind. It’d been a week since Bill was deemed powerless, and he’d been free from the deal. It was like a breath of fresh air, and although he knew he should have killed Bill, or at the very least, sent him off to terrorize someone else… He wanted him in his sights. To make sure everyone else was safe. At least, that’s what he told himself. And everyone else.

But there was a little bit more. Even when he would have nightmares of having Bill on his chest, tearing out his heart, he couldn’t help feeling attached to the man. Maybe because he felt responsible, maybe because of the frequent intimacies they had.

“Kid, I don’t feel love,” Bill had told him a few days back. “Demons feel lust. They feed off it. Everything I did was for the sake of harvesting your emotional energy.”

That had stung, but Dipper had already known that. It didn’t stop the tightness in his chest, or the way he wanted Bill to keep throwing himself on his lap when he sat in the chair. It wasn’t right in any sense. But it’d just be something he’d get over.

Bill mumbled in his sleep, holding Dipper tighter. Dipper sighed, and rubbed his face into his pillow, waiting for sleep to finally take him.

And he was woken far too early by Mabel screaming and hitting Dipper with a pillow.

“What the hell, Mabel?” Dipper groaned, pulling himself out of Bill’s armlock and blinking blearily at his sister. She was jumping up and down, pointing at the window and letting out another shrill and excited scream.

“Oh my god, someone duct tape her mouth shut,” Bill whined, shoving his face under his pillow.

“Snow, snow, snow, snow!” She hollered, jumping in a circle.

“You do this every time we go somewhere with snow,” Dipper said, pulling himself up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

“Well, yeah! Piedmont doesn’t get any snow!” She replied, flinging her pillow at Dipper’s face before grabbing her clothes. “Don’t look, I’m getting dressed.”

Dipper’s face twisted in a grimace before he flopped face first back onto his pillow. He tugged his phone off the bedside table and looked at the time. 9:34 in the morning. Eh, wasn’t the worst time to be awake. Bill shifted beside him, pulling his head out from under his pillow but Dipper grabbed the back of his neck and pushed his face down.

“Dude, respect my sister’s privacy, would you?” He hissed.

“Hey, s’not my fault she wants to get dressed with us in here,” He replied with a giggle. “Also, this? Such a turn on, Pine Tree.”

Dipper made a noise of disgust before letting him go, hearing Mabel snicker and her footsteps dash out of the room. Pulling himself up, he stretched, back popping. As he ran a hand over his face, he swung his legs over the bed and looked out the window. His face deadpanned.

“Holy shit, I guess it snowed…” He said under his breath. Bill opened his eye and looked at Dipper before jumping up to see. 

Outside the window, Gravity Falls and the surrounding forest was entirely blanketed by a thick quilt of snow. Trees bent under the weight and drooped, and the roads had absolutely not been plowed. The town beyond looked like it was entirely at a standstill. Dipper could feel the chill seep in through the window, tempting him to go outside. Mabel was right, it didn’t snow in Piedmont, and although their family had taken a few trips to snowier places in the winter, it wasn’t a yearly thing… Part of him really wanted to go outside and play.

“Whoa, that’s actually pretty nice lookin’.” Bill said, pressing his hand against the window. Around his fingers the glass fogged, and he shivered, the sensation bringing a wide grin to his face. Pulling away his hand, he flexed his fingers, feeling the biting cold seep into his bones.

“Guess we won’t be going to the college today.” Dipper said with a sigh.

“Eh, I’m sure we still have time. Besides, I kinda wanna go jump in a pile of snow.” Bill said. Dipper looked at him, then did a double take to see he wasn’t wearing his eyepatch.

Most times Bill kept it on, even sleeping. But the few times he had it off showed that he was actually missing an eye altogether. It was just a gaping hole, kind of eerie in all honesty, like his eye had been removed and cauterized. Dipper poked just below it.

“You know, you could probably get a glass eye or something.” Dipper suggested, turning away from the window to get clothes. Bill shrugged, still looking out the window.

“Eyepatches are cooler.” Was his retort. Dipper snorted, throwing on what smelled like a clean shirt and pants. Then he grabbed the sweater Mabel had originally intended for him, sliding it on before Bill could protest. But he was still staring outside.

“Yeah, but, imagine if you got all those weird ones,” Dipper continued. “Ones that are entirely black, or white, or look like lizard eyes or something.”

Bill made a small noise, Dipper raising a brow at the strange silence. Usually he was so talkative, and annoying. 

“You okay, Bill?” Dipper asked warily, stepping closer.

“I don’t know,” He said softly. “I… I feel something? Something I didn’t before…” His good eye was watering slightly, a sheen over the amber. His brows were knit together in confusion, mouth slightly open.

“Appreciation, maybe? Admiration?” Dipper tried. He’d seen the expression before, had it on his own face a few times. An appreciation of something absolutely beautiful, like nature.

“I guess?” Bill tried, shaking his head. He blinked a few times and made a face. “It’s stupid. Snow isn’t even that interesting anyway. Semi frozen water droplets.”

He looked at Dipper.

“Hey! That’s mine!” He said, seeing Dipper wearing the white and blue Pine Tree shirt. Dipper side stepped when Bill tried to grab at him, laughing as he retreated from the room.

Bill reluctantly wore the yellow shirt with the eye on it, only pouting for a moment before he realized he actually really liked it. Ford was still hiding in the basement, but Stan was sitting in front of the TV with a Pitt Cola while Mabel was digging through a box of snow clothes.

“I brought everything we’d need for the snow!” She shouted excitedly. She wrapped a bright purple scarf around her neck and slid on a pair of thick gloves, wriggling her fingers. 

“You kids gonna go outside in this?” Stan asked, raising a brow.

“Well, duh! Snow day, snow day, snow day!” Mabel chanted, pumping both fists in the air. Stan chuckled and sighed, eyes looking far off.

“Just be careful, the plows’ll probably come by sometime soon,” He warned.

“Wait, do we have a jacket for Bill?” Dipper asked, grabbing his own out of the box of snow clothes.

“Pffft, I don’t need a jacket,” Bill said, crossing his arms and walking for the door.

“You’re kind of human now, Bill,” Mabel said, grabbing at his leg before he went outside. He frowned at her, lips pursing. “You can get frostbite! Or get sick, or hypothermia--”

“Uh, no, I’ll be just fine, thank you for worrying,” He said stubbornly, pulling his leg away. 

“Seriously, Bill, might want to stop pretending you’re invincible right now,” Dipper said with a light chuckle, picking up a scarf and wrapping it around Bill’s neck. Bill growled and glared at Dipper, pulling the scarf off and going outside, slamming the door behind him.

“What’s his deal?” Mabel asked after a moment of silence. Dipper shrugged, sliding boots on his feet and grabbing a red beanie, tugging it down over his ears. Putting on gloves, he waited for Mabel to finish getting dressed up, before they headed outside.

The world was like something straight out of a postcard photo. Everything was white and quiet, the snow muffling all the normal sounds. They could hear birds and branches groaning under the weight of the snow, and somewhere down in Gravity Falls, a car honked its horn.

“This is so much better than that ski lodge in Colorado…” Mabel whispered softly, eyes gleaming. 

“Yeah… it’s quiet.”

“And smells like snow and cold, not tourists and snow mobiles…” 

As she took a few steps forward, Dipper stuck his tongue between his teeth and scooped up a handful of snow. Patting it into a ball, he threw it straight at her head. It hit it’s target, earning a squeak of surprise and a dangerous smile from his sister.

“Oh, it’s on now, Broski!” She said, bending down and scooping up some snow. Dipper laughed and made a run for it, right into the snowy driveway. A snowball zoomed past his head, and he reached down to form one of his own quickly. 

He flung it out behind him, hearing Mabel laugh as he missed. Skidding behind a pile of snow, he grabbed at more and patted it into a ball. Shooting up, arm raised to throw, he found his sister not in front of him where he expected. Lowering his arm, he looked around.

“SNEAK ATTACK!” Came a shout from behind him. He spun around only to be pelted with a snowball in the face. He fell backwards dramatically, feeling the stinging cold seep into his skin, through the layers of warmth.

“Okay, okay, I admit defeat!” Dipper laughed as a few more snowballs hit his chest.

“Snow queen!” Mabel shouted, putting a foot on her brother’s chest in triumph.

“Okay, okay, you’re the snow queen,” Dipper chuckled, pushing her foot off and dusting the snow off his jacket and face. “But, uh, where’s Bill?” He asked, remembering that the other had stormed outside without anything more than sneakers and a sweater.

“Oh. Right, crap,” Mabel said, looking around. She pointed at a trail of footprints that weren’t their own. “Oh, over there!”

Dipper stood up and went over to follow the path, snickering at the skid marks that told them that Bill had probably slipped as he stomped. The path led to a large mound of snow that had formed under a tree, the precipitation that was on its branches having slid off in the night. In the pile laid Bill, arms and legs sprawled out. He looked up at Dipper and Mabel, face and fingers red from the cold. Small puffs of white escaped from his nostrils as he breathed slowly.

“Enjoying yourself?” Dipper asked, tilting his head to one side.

“Yes. Very much so. The pain is starting to numb now, leave me alone,” He spat back.

Mabel threw herself by Bill, Dipper sitting on the other side of the pile.

“What’s wrong, Bill?” Mabel asked with sincere concern. Bill wrinkled his nose at her.

“Nothing I need to tell you two,” He replied.

“You’re being uncharacteristically sulky.” Mabel said, giving him a pointed look. 

“And why do you even care?” He asked.

“Well… I mean,” She started, blinking. “I kinda care about everyone, all the time. And since you aren’t a demon trying to kill us right now, and are kind of getting used to being a human… I guess I kinda care about you, too?”

“That’s stupid,” Bill snapped. “I literally set you all up to die. I’ve been planning the apocalypse since the dawn of time. I don’t need anyone to care for me, and I hate all of this!” He shouted, balling his fists.

“She’s just trying to help,” Dipper growled, seeing his sister’s face fall.

“She can help by finding some way to make me a demon again,” Bill offered sarcastically.

“Okay, come on Mabel, I’m sure Ford will be extra happy when he freezes over. And I think I will be too,” Dipper said, pulling himself up. Mabel reluctantly joined him. Bill crossed his arms and sunk deeper into the snow pile.

He mumbled something as the twins started to walk away. Dipper stopped and turned back.

“What?” 

“‘M sorry…” Bill mumbled again, with a bit more clarity. Dipper blinked a few times, watching the confusing array of emotions dance across Bill’s face. Confusion, anger, hurt, frustration. He pulled himself into a seated position, running a hand through his snow covered hair. “Can we go inside?”

“Yeah,” Dipper said, pulling off a glove and offering his hand to Bill. Bill took it, his hand like ice compared to Dippers, and pulled himself up. He didn’t let go of Dipper's hand, but let himself be led into the house without a fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Dipper and Bill struggle with Emotions and react very differently about them.
> 
> Sorry I went so long without posting, I got sidetracked <3


	4. Chapter 4

“Pine Treeeeee,” Bill whined, wrapped up in a massive quilt on the couch, face flushed with a fever and nose running. He had gotten himself a cold a few days after the snow. Mabel said it was because he went outside without any proper snow clothes, and had taken to forgiving his outburst that day and being his caretaker. Of course, Bill wasn’t about to let Dipper not have to help too.

“What now?” Dipper asked as he came down the stairs.

“I can’t reach the remote,” He said pitifully, pointing at the armchair. After his tantrum, he’d snapped right back to his seemingly normal and ever annoying self. Being sick made him all the more insufferable. He refused to move other than the minimum number of footsteps to get from place to place, and was constantly hollering for Dipper or Mabel. 

Ford had come upstairs once to eat, glaring daggers at Bill. Stan had sat in the living room until Bill’s whining got too much, than he retreated to his office. Dipper and Mabel had taken to Bill-care shifts, switching out to help care for Bill, but Dipper had been hoping to go talk to Ford and Stan.

Rolling his eyes, Dipper grabbed the remote and threw it towards the sick man, Bill managing to catch it before it tumbled from his fingers to the floor.

“Wait, where are you going?” Bill sniffled, skin clammy and with a slight sheen of sweat.

“I gotta go talk to the Grunkles,” Dipper replied. “Mabel’ll be right back.”

“Don’t leave me aloooone, I feel like I’m dying,” Bill whined, having less dignity than he normally would, it seemed.

“Don’t worry, when you’re really dying, you’ll know it,” Dipper said, hearing a very petulant whine from the other as he retreated.

“Stan?” Dipper called, poking his head in what used to be the Mystery Shack gift shop. It was still empty right now, having been getting repaired since the incident that left the entire place a wreck. The merchandise hadn’t been brought back out, but the walls still had the posters and wall mounts on them. It felt weird seeing it so empty.

No one returned his call, so he stepped in and looked around. The snack machine was wide open, leading to the stairwell. Normally Ford kept it locked up tight. He didn’t seem inclined to speak to the others much, and in between mind wiping the town, he’d been sleeping, eating, or would lock himself up down there. Maybe they were both there?

Dipper made his way down the stairs, listening for voices but only finding stifling silence. The elevator was still out of commission, at least until they rewired the basement and got the electricity lines repaired. As he climbed down the escape ladder, he started hearing talking.

“...entirely gone?” Came Grunkle Stan’s voice. How did he even get down here? Ford grunted affirmatively.

“Yes. As much as it pains me to destroy something so close to my research… It just wasn’t worth saving, even if I had the option to.” The six fingered man replied. Dipper crept to the edge of the escape stairs, poking his head out. The basement had since settled, scorch marks dragging across the floor and bits of dirt and metal shrapnel sat in piles. It looked like Ford had swept them into a manageable place, and had taken bright standing lights and placed them around the blown up room and the console room.

Both men were by the console, Stanley sitting in the chair with staff in hand and Ford standing beside him. They were talking. Dipper made sure they couldn’t see him, eavesdropping.

“So, where’d you go for nearly 40 years? You barely said two sentences to me since you’ve been back,” Stan said sadly, looking off at the exploded wreckage. Ford was quiet, but Stanley was insistent. “Hey, I get if it’s too much to talk about.. but-”

“I was in a lot of places,” Stanford replied. “It was this massive gateway in between thousands upon thousands of universes. I visited many, had to learn how to survive… I was positive I’d never find a hole back to this universe. And I was pretty sure my warnings would keep people from trying to use it.”

“I couldn’t give up on you, poindexter,” Stanley said softly, smiling at his brother. Ford looked at him but shouldered away. “I’m-”

“Look, I know you’ve been here for long time, Lee,” Ford cut in. “But I want my home back. I want to continue my research in Gravity Falls. I want this silly little show you have going on upstairs to be gone…”

“So you’re just going to go back to being cooped up and alone?” Stan demanded angrily. “I can’t just drop everything and go back to being Stanley, Ford! I’m legally dead-”

“Make a new identity.”

“-and all the work I put into the Mystery Shack, and the kids, Ford.”

“I’ll give you all enough time to work out a new place to stay.” Ford said coldly. “But there’s been enough hell around here as it stands. It’s safer if I continue alone.”

There was a pregnant silence between the two, Dipper reaching his head around and watching Stan with knuckles white as he clutched the 8-ball staff head.

“After all this time, you cannot just decide to shut everyone out again.” Stan growled lowly. “You didn’t even thank me for trying to get you out of there! The place you told us drove Fiddleford McGucket into the crazy he is today! You hardly seem affected yourself--”

“Don’t you dare call Fids crazy!” Ford barked, cutting off his brother. Dipper didn’t have to see his face to hear the pain in his voice. After a moment of silence, Ford took off his jacket, Dipper craning his neck as he rolled up the sleeves of his red sweater. His arms were covered in scars, some puckered and pink, some clean and white against his weathered and tan skin. “I have a stronger mind than Fiddleford. I had to adapt or die, and I would be damned if I was going to give up so easily. And I won’t be thanking you. You threw everything into a ridiculous gamble, and were lucky that it didn’t work! And then you let Cipher get his claws on it, and nearly cause the apocalypse! You should be thanking me for saving your old sorry ass.”

Dipper held his breath, feeling his pulse hammering in his ear.

“I’m sorry, Ford,” Came Stan’s hoarse voice. It was obvious he was crying, and Dipper could see a single stream going down Ford’s cheek as well, just before he pulled the sleeves back down. “I just wanted my brother back. I… I never got to apologize to you. Or to make up for our fight before you vanished.”

“I’m scared, Lee,” Ford said with a sigh. “I… I guess i’m sorry as well. But it really is better if you all left. I don’t trust Cipher, demon or not. The machine is gone, but not the other options…” He trailed off, as if holding a secret, but Stanley didn’t question him.

“Look, I know he’s not a good guy, Ford, but he’s literally wrapped up in blankets and crying over having the common cold. I really don’t think he’s going to do anything bad just right now. Plus, Dipper and Mabel are keeping an eye on him. Maybe you could put down this supernatural stuff and try to readjust without shutting everyone out?”

“...I can try. But I still don’t trust him, regardless of the level of watching our niece and nephew are doing,” Ford huffed. “You already know Mabel trusts too easy, and Dipper… I don’t even know if he can see how strung out he his over Cipher...”

Dipper pursed his lips, feeling a warm flush across his cheeks. Stan seemed to not grab the notion but Ford shook his head.

“None of you understand just how dangerous and manipulative he is. The only way Bill Cipher isn’t a problem is when he’s dead,” Ford said with a sigh. “But Mabel and Dipper seem very sold on the idea of keeping him around. He’s probably already planning something and… I just can’t let him hurt anyone else. I can’t let him hurt my family again.”

“It’s alright, Ford,” Grunkle Stan said in an attempt to be reassuring. “You’re here now! We can keep an eye on him… Maybe make up for all the years we lost?”

“Yeah… Yeah, I’d like that,” Ford replied after a moment of silence. Dipper started to pull back towards the ladder.

Dipper felt a lump in his throat, wondering about his Grunkles. They hadn’t left on the best of terms, but Grunkle Stan seemed willing to try and make amends. Ford seemed reluctant and distant but... Whatever happened in that portal, in between dimensions, probably left a big enough impact. At least Stan had convinced him not to hole up completely… Maybe he’d even be more of a presence in the home. Maybe Dipper could finally talk to him about the journals.

He found Mabel on the chair, Waddles sleeping at her feet. As he walked in, she raised a finger to her lips, jabbing a thumb towards Bill. Dipper smirked, seeing that Bill was asleep with his mouth wide open and snoring.

“He finally wore himself out,” Mabel whispered. Dipper raised his brows and rolled his eyes in relief, sitting by her.

“So, I kind of eavesdropped on the Grunkles,” Dipper admitted, pulling his knees to his chest. Mabel gasped, and gave him a sly look.

“Dipper, Dipper, Dipper,” She chided jokingly. He smirked.

“Ford and Grunkle Stan still have some... frustration at one another,” Dipper started, watching as a cartoon pill danced around the screen. “Ford was gonna try and kick us out altogether. Stan talked him out of it, though.” Dipper quickly added at the sudden panic on Mabels’ face. He continued. “But he still really doesn’t like or trust Bill.”

“Well, I’d be one of the last people to blame him for it,” Mabel said, eyes flickering down. “The last few months were horrible…” She said, barely an audible whisper. 

“Look, I’m so sorry, Mabel. I’m sorry that I shut you out and that I-”

“Dipper, look, it’s okay!” She shushed. “You know I forgive you, bro.”

“You already forgave him too?” Dipper asked, looking pointedly at Bill. She followed his gaze and shrugged.

“I mean, I guess,” She replied. She paused, and started again. “Not really… Not after everything he did. But, he’s been a lot less harmful since he became human. Aside from to himself.” It was a dryly made observation. Bill had taken to maiming himself, his forearms puckered with scratches and bitemarks. Dipper had been mostly successful in curbing the self destructive habits but Bill didn’t see them as an issue.

“Yeah...” Dipper said, eyes still on Bill.

“You seemed to forgive him a lot faster than me, bro-bro. You’re the one he did all that stuff to.” She said. He shrugged and shook his head.

“I dunno. I guess I just. Feel responsible for him,” Dipper replied.

“Hey, if you’re willing to try and give him a second chance, then so am I,” Mabel said. Her face lit up like she had a sudden idea, and she looked to Dipper. “Oh! I’m heading to the Mall on Saturday with Candy and Grenda! Did you want to come? I mean we do have all that spending money now.”

Dipper cracked a smile.

“Yeah, I guess Bill could pay for some of our college supplies. And more clothes. Maybe a few new movies…” Dipper mused. Mabel chuckled, and a pillow sailed from the other side of the living room and smacked Dipper square in the face.

“No spending m’money without my permission,” Bill called groggily, flailing an arm at the twins.

“You can come too, Bill,” Mabel said, laughing at Dipper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more forgiveness and reconciliation between hurt parties <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the long wait on this one. I still havent really written more and fear that I'll come up on the last written chapter I have and just... stop. I don't want to, but its hard to get the blood flowing again. Thank you all for your patience

“So, what the hell are you guys doing?” Bill asked as he sniffled, arms resting on Dipper’s shoulder with his chin on the others’ head. Dipper shrugged him off, grunting as his grip on the pine tree slipping.

“Quit it, Bill! I’m going to drop the tree!”

“Haha, then it’d be a Pine Tree under a pine tree!” Bill laughed, stepping back and bouncing on his heels as Dipper and Grunkle Stan pulled the tree into the living room.   
It wasn’t a terribly tall or thick tree, standing maybe 6 feet tall, but it still required both men to heave it into the house. Mabel was coming down the stairs with a large box in her arm, stopping as the men passed through. 

Dipper grumbled at Bill’s joke and rolled his eyes.

“Ya still didn’t answer my question.” Bill pushed, leaning against the wall and offering no help.

“We’re decorating for Christmas and Chanukah!” Mabel said, stepping over the broken step and onto the stray pine needles that were scattered on the floorboards. The walls of the living room still had the few decorations from last month scattered around, Stars of David and sparkly garland hanging half heartedly, but Mabel had plans for the entire shack. 

Bill snorted and crossed his arms over the kitten sweater he had stolen out of Dippers dresser, rolling his eye.

“Okay, but, I’ve already told you guys multiple times, God doesn’t exist,” Bill chided as Stan and Dipper set the tree into its holder. “This universe is just one of many that formed in a totally random happenence of space time.”

Dipper grunted as he screwed the tree to the base, ignoring Bill as he continued on.

“So, it’s dumb enough to celebrate one meaningless holiday, but two? I mean, there’s no point,” Bill finished with a shrug.

“It’s not entirely the religion that gives it meaning, Bill,” Mabel stated matter-of-factly. She put down the box and opened it, revealing sparkling tree ornaments, tangled garland, and a mess of string lights. “It’s more about the sentiment. And tradition! It’s about being with the family, and getting each other gifts, and sitting together, and having a big dinner-”

“Which is all ridiculous and stupid. What a dumb way to spend your already pathetically short lives!” Bill cut in, throwing his hands in the air. This time, Dipper didn’t hold his tongue.

“Hey man, cut the shit,” He spat, glancing to Mabel. He expected a crestfallen expression, but she was still beaming, digging through the box. Mabel hummed a Christmas carol and grabbed a string of silver garland, flinging it around Bill’s neck.

“Look, you can be a grinch all you want, but we’re gonna celebrate!” She said happily, grabbing the remote and turning on the TV. “You don’t have to understand to reciprocate! Or to help decorate the tree~” She sang as Nippy the Man made of Snow cartoon started playing. Bill wrinkled his nose at the snowman dancing on the screen.

“Yeah, if you don’t want to have fun, then go get the vacuum and clean up these needles,” Dipper said, heading to the kitchen to get water and tree feeder. Bill mocked him and stuck out his tongue, Mabel smiling and pulling out a length of golden garland from the box. 

He made his way towards the gift shop, heading to the supply closet. Why did he even bother complying. They should be doing the menial cleaning tasks. He had been so close, voices in the back of his mind taunting him. He was a god among them and he had made a stupid, stupid mistake with Dipper Pines. An oversight. Bill Cipher did not make oversights. 

His bitter self loathing was interrupted by the snack machine suddenly swinging open and Ford stepping out. The bags beneath his eyes showed just how tired the old man was, the wrinkles in his face belying his age. He scratched his unshaven face, before taking notice to Bill. For a moment, the two stared at eachother, then Bills face split into a grin.

“Boo!” He whispered, moving forward. Ford reached into his jacket, shifting a foot behind him in a steadier stance as Bill cackled. “Still afraid of me, huh, old man?”

“More like distrustful,” Ford replied, easing up slightly as Bill pulled the vacuum cleaner out of the closet, grunting at the weight of the ancient machine. He was pretty sure this was the same vacuum that Ford had bought before he was sucked into the portal, Stan too cheap to buy another. “What are you playing at?”

“Playing at? I don’t have a game to play, Sixxer,” Bill replied, shoulders loosely dropping as he glared at Ford. “I won, and then I lost. Dipper spared me, and now i’m here. Enjoying the shitty religious holidays that you humans fawn over so fondly.”

“You’re hardly the kind to take being beaten so lightly,” Ford countered, closing the snack machine door with an audible click.

“Things change, IQ,” Bill replied.

“Not you.”

Bill’s lips twitched in a smile again, walking past Ford but stopping as their shoulders brushed.

“Sounds more like you’re sad I have a new favorite,” He hissed. Bill didn’t have time to react before Ford had reached behind Bill and grabbed a fistful of his hair, pulling his head back and pressing a gun to his chin.

“Grunkle Ford!” Dipper shouted as he stepped through the swinging doors and seeing the pair. Bill swallowed, Adams apple bouncing as he felt his pulse beat over his eardrum. The small smirk on his face had Dipper thinking he probably got himself in this situation on his own, but the glint of fear in his eye was new. Ford looked coldly to his nephew, lowering the futuristic looking gun slowly and releasing his grip on Bill’s hair. “We’re decorating the Shack, Mabel wanted me to see if you wanted to come help.” Dipper muttered, eyes bouncing between Ford and Bill who was massaging his scalp.

Ford wordlessly moved around Dipper and into the house, leaving Dipper and Bill alone. The brunet turned blazing eyes on Bill, who raised his open hands.

“Hey, he was the one about to kill me.”

“And you’re the one who instigates.” Dipper countered with a sigh. “Do I have to be with you all the time so you don’t get yourself killed?”

“That’d be mighty sweet of you, kid,” Bill said, heaving the vacuum and heading for the living room. “But I can handle Sixxer on my own.”

The rest of the day was spent decorating under Mabel’s strict instruction. Of course, even strict, she made it fun. Bill mostly opted to be cleaner boy, still thinking their decorations and holiday songs pointless. 

The tree was against the wall across from the door that lead into the gift shop, covered in gold, silver, green, and red glittering garland, multicolored string lights, and candy canes. Some of the old baked decorations the twins had made years ago were on the tree too, and they still smelled strongly of cinnamon and ginger. Bill had attempted to eat one, but found the actual taste was much less pleasant than the smell. That was when they started baking.

Ford made a visible effort to be around them, although his reclusive nature was still apparent. He shied away from the majority of the activity, opting to watch at a distance and contribute on small things. He made a face when he was asked to decorate a cookie, but did it anyway, drenching a 6 pointed star shaped cookie with blue and red frosting. It was enough to satisfy Mabel, and grunkle Stan, whom Dipper caught looking after his brother in a way Dipper had often found himself looking at Mabel.

Sometime later, a soft snow began to fall. Not the heavy blanket that had hit the town days earlier, this snow was light and dry, dancing in the wind as it met the town. Dipper often found Bill staring outside, as if he was mesmerized by the whims of the white flakes, and Mabel kept bouncing on the balls of her feet, eager to go back outside and frolic. But, the sugar cookies held her attention for most of the remainder of the day.

As the day began to wind down, Grunkle Stan pulled the recliner closer to the tree, and the couch in front of the TV. It wasn’t big enough for everyone to squeeze onto, but Ford had since returned to the basement, slipping out when no one had noticed, and Stan took residency in his chair. Dipper, Mabel, and Bill took up the couch, Mabel turning to the channel that was now playing non stop holiday classics for them to enjoy. Bill watched them with surprisingly rapt attention, making small comments over the stupidity and unnecessary love plots - “It’s about the stupid holiday, not about overtly heterosexual romances!”. 

Eventually, Stan retired, and after Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer, the twins had fallen asleep on the couch. Bill was in between them, each with their heads lolling on his shoulder. He sighed and shifted beneath them, earning a small noise of discomfort from Dipper, and Mabel angrily berating a unicorn. He closed his eyes and let his head fall back, ignoring the ache it stirred in his neck and let sleep take him.

It wasn’t sleep that would find him, however, but Tad. Waking up in an upside-down world that was a monochromatic reflection of the Nightmare Realm in its prime, Bill looked around. He looked down at his hands and body, then willed himself back into a triangle. Now, this felt more comfortable, natural. Human anatomy was too weird, full of squishy bits and random pain at inopportune moments. Not to mention the entirety of the digestive tract… 

“Getting cozy there, Bill?” Came Tads voice, the purple square making himself seen with his single eye roaming the land. To their right, a pool of black ichor was dripping upwards, ascending into the swirling abyss that was the sky, while tree’s grew from their leaves and their roots pointed to the sky. The ground grew in uneven crags, coated in fur and blinking eyes.

“It’s been too long. Being a human is really lame. It’s worse than just possessing a meat sack,” Bill complained, shuddering. Tad laughed, a strange and deep sound that echoed over the mindscape. “I hope you’re not just here paying a friendly visit.” Bill ventured, eyeing the other demon with questioning.

“Oh, of course not!” Tad replied, flying closer to Bill. “I’m here to tell you step one of getting you back into shape.”

“...Was that a pun, Tad?” Bill asked flatly. Tad laughed loudly hands pressing below his eye like it was his chest.

“I’ll take credit for it, but it wasn’t entirely intentional,” The purple demon replied. “But, in a literal and figurative sense, we need to get you back into shape! It was our deal, of course.”

“Okay, then why just step one?” Bill asked, noting the specific nature of his intentions.

“Well, you see, this isn’t an easy process,” Tad started, pressing his claw tips together in a steeple. “I have to time this all out very precisely, and without you knowing the entire method to which you regain your powers.”

“Tad…” Bill said with a warning tone.

“Now, now, don’t you lose faith in me, Cipher!” Tad replied, sounding offended. “I know you worry that I’m trying to trick you, but unlike you, I’m solid on my deals. No underhanded tricks, you have my word.”

The jab didn’t go unnoticed, but Bill accepted it. It wasn’t as if he was oblivious to his own manipulative tendencies, however other demons were often just as tricky. Tad was as close as a ‘friend’ as Bill Cipher had, but he didn’t trust the demon at all. He was merely desperate.

“Fine, cut to the chase,” Bill demanded. “What do I need to do first?”

“Oh, it’s a delightful task! But it won’t be easy, even with me there,” Tad explained, watching idly as a lizard with butterfly wings flew by upside down, croaking like a frog. “There is a very specific dagger you must obtain, locked away deep underground in Germany. It’s sealed behind magical gates and kept under lock and key with undead spirits and ghouls and puzzles keeping it barred.”

“Wait, why do I need you with me?” Bill asked.

“Well, you can’t just get to Germany all on your own, let alone reach the crypt in the mountains where this dagger is. Even with clear instructions. You’re only human, after all,” Tad teased, eye gleaming. Bill glared angrily, admitting to himself that it would be damn near impossible to do so without the aid of the demon. “I can’t help you obtain the dagger, however. That’s up to you to solve the puzzles and obtain the key, break the locks. Part of the archaic procedure and all.”

“Wait, German blade locked away in an ancient crypt? Is this the blade of Ælfsige?” Bill asked.

“The one and only! Heroic banisher of demons!”

“How is a demon repellent blade supposed to help me get my powers back?!” Bill asked, sounding less composed and more frantic than he would otherwise.

“Hey, I can’t tell you everything, I already said that!” Tad replied, wagging a finger. “But we head for Germany in-” He pulled up a small calendar, looking at the dates. “-one week!”

“Why not now?”

“Look, I know you’re human now, with less capabilities than before, but must I really keep repeating myself, Cipher?” Tad questioned in an overly patronizing manner.

Bill’s claws tightened into fists, but before he could do anything else, his eyes snapped open as the buzzing of the TV static jolted him awake. He narrowed his brows, but settled back, ignoring the crick in his neck. Both twins stirred slightly, blinking sleep from their eyes.

“C’mon Pine Tree, Shooting Star. We need to head upstairs.” Bill said softly, longing for the mattress and a bout of real sleep.


End file.
